Sunday, June 01, 2008

NZ man who attacked a teenager with a hedgehog has been fined

For those who were concerned, it has not been ascertained whether or not the hedgehog was alive when the man hurled it at the 15-year-old, but the police report says that the hedgehog was dead when they arrived on the scene. Poor hedgehog.

The man was fined 700 New Zealand dollars for assault (500 went to the victim). Our favorite line from the article:

A more serious charge of assault with a weapon - the hedgehog - was dropped. It carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Ha, just as I thought (from Encyclopedia Britannica Online): "moonrat(Echinosorex gymnura): Southeast Asian insectivore that is essentially a primitive tropical hedgehog with a long tail and fur instead of spines."

I think in the story, given the above background, there's definitely a message from the universe, Lisa. It's something like "If you're going to wear orange pants, keep your hands OFF the moonrat."